October 27, 2025
After Charlie Kirk was assassinated on the 10th of September, we’ve all had a little time to reflect and consider the magnitude of this tragic event. Regardless of personal political position, Charlie was a son, a husband and a father executed mercilessly for all that he stood for and believed in.
Such shocking moments are rare and unusual; events that seem to seize the attention, not only of a nation but of the whole world and Charlie Kirk’s assassination is no exception. You may never have heard of the man before his brutal murder, but because of the impact of his life and his death, chances are, you are well aware of who he was now.
There’s much to be said about this kind of impact alone. What is it about such an event or person that seizes our attention so significantly? The influence of Charlie’s life seems seismic, but the aftermath of his death has at times even felt cosmic, creating a ripple effect in the socio-political, religious and economic climate.
In many ways, his voice was like one crying in a wilderness, preparing the way of the Lord for ‘such a time as this’. He resembled a sound so similar to that of John the Baptist, a voice unafraid to contest the ways of the world in light of God’s moral standard. He was a man unafraid to challenge the status quo, unafraid to speak up and out for the principles of God in his nation and in this generation.
Such boldness, confidence, and courage are to be admired, regardless of whether or not we personally agree with everything he stood for politically. Spiritually, Charlie Kirk did not shrink back from his conviction to speak truth into the physical and spiritual atmospheres of our time. He fearlessly contended for his values without hostility and vengeance, creating a space for the ‘whosoever’ to hold the mic, taking the time to agree or disagree with the thoughts, feelings and beliefs of the world around him. He was admirably unafraid to be challenged, slandered or disagreed with.
Regardless of how much influence we feel we have, Charlie Kirk challenged everyone around him to stand for Biblical and moral values. He encouraged us to speak up and out, to ‘have the conversation’, and to hear one another without compromise and submission. He was a man who ‘held his own,’ empowered to stand steadfast and immovable for what he believed, and these truths alone bring a powerful challenge to the people of God in this nation and this generation.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
As followers of Jesus, we are called to be set apart, to be a people who will stand for righteousness, justice and truth within a culture of lies, injustice and unrighteousness. We are called to speak truth in love and to represent Jesus in the ordinary places. University campuses were the arenas Charlie used as an auditorium for every conversation he had, strategically positioning himself without intimidation on the frontline of the Gen Z generation. As he contended for God’s standard and the rights and wrongs of moral values in these spaces, he did so on a level playing field, not elevated on platforms with state-of-the-art technology, fancy lights and sound amplification, but more usually under a simple gazebo, on a bog standard chair and a wired-up hand-held mic.
He set the stage on a one-to-one level, conversing with precious people one at a time and armed only with a God-given influential hope of dissuading hundreds, thousands and millions from the secular ways of the world. Charlie won over hundreds of people in his lifetime and thousands more after his assassination. It reminds us of the Scripture when Jesus talks about life from death in the analogy of wheat found in John 12:24: “Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” Eternal fruit has been borne from this earthly tragedy. God had a greater plan, which may answer many unanswered questions for many around the world, reflecting on this brutal event.
The impact of the gospel has been worldwide because of Charlie Kirk’s death. It was reported that on the day of his funeral, 100 million people heard the Gospel that was so briefly but so simply and powerfully shared. From the gazebo to a global stage, Jesus was introduced to the world through this one man’s life and death. God seized the attention of the world to make Jesus known so personally and so powerfully to so many, opening up the way for hundreds of thousands to acknowledge Jesus as Lord and Saviour on the day of Charlie Kirk’s funeral.
On that day, the Gospel was not only shed abroad far and wide, but also near and close through Charlie Kirk’s wife. Erika Kirk demonstrated the very gospel that was shared that day, seizing a moment to publicly forgive the man who killed her husband. Such strength isn’t found in human ability amid the throes of grief and shock. The power to truly forgive comes from a supernatural place of Grace, and on the day of Charlie Kirk’s funeral, the world watched and witnessed the Gospel brought to life through this courageous display of mercy. It was impossible to watch and not remember the ultimate sacrifice of the Cross when Jesus died to save the world from sin, Christ uttering similar words of forgiveness for those who took his life, ridiculing him and mocking him.
Hundreds of thousands of people have consequently come to faith since Charlie Kirk was assassinated, so regardless of whether or not you or I agree with what he stood for politically, on a Biblical level, the power of the Cross at work through his life and death cannot be denied. God has unmistakably used this sad event for the Glory of God, for the exhortation of Jesus and for the benefit of the lost, fulfilling His own Word that ‘all things work together for good, for those who love the Lord and for those who are called according to His purpose.’ (Romans 8:28)
How did it work for Charlie’s good, you might ask, robbing him of the opportunity to remain a son, a father and a husband? Well, from what we have witnessed so far, it seems that Charlie and Erika saw a bigger picture, an eternal perspective and understood so clearly that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Cor 5:8), of which there is no greater joy. On these terms, Erika embraced the grace to continue the work of her husband, accepting the will of God in this heartbreaking, life-changing circumstance, whilst Charlie himself is rejoicing with His Saviour. As for the good of those called according to God’s purpose…thousands have been drawn to a saving knowledge of Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, rescued from eternal damnation. In the face of sadness, grief and loss, there have been revival-sized, eternal wins that far outweigh the existence of one man. This doesn’t mean that Charlie’s life didn’t matter. On the contrary, it shows that Charlie’s life mattered all the more, as does every life. Every life has the power to change lives when empowered by God’s Spirit.
What happened to Charlie Kirk opens up so many wider conversations to be had in the open mic forum of the wider world. We cannot witness this event and not consider what we ourselves stand for. We all have a voice, and those of us who represent Jesus must use that voice to ‘have a conversation’ with the world around us. There is so much we can learn from Charlie’s strategy, showing courage to speak truth in love and seizing those opportunities whenever and wherever we can. As God’s people, we need to not shrink back from the conversations that need to be had, and as representatives of Jesus, we can embrace our place in the ordinary spaces. Charlie was just a man who offered himself to his country and his Lord, famously but fearlessly practising what he preached, when wearing that timely T-shirt “Here I am Lord, send me.”
Those same words need to be written over our lives as we make ourselves available to the world around us…Let’s hold the mic and have the conversation for the Glory of God and the benefit of the one and the millions.
When we dare to have these small, seemingly ordinary conversations – one person at a time, one heart at a time – a ripple effect is often triggered that cannot be contained. The Gospel spreads most powerfully through relationship, through courage, through the willingness to speak to the one. Charlie’s life reminds us that one conversation, one act of obedience, one “yes, Lord” can transform not just a moment but generations. Through one person accepting Jesus as Lord and Saviour, a family is changed. Through one family, a community. Through one community, a nation. And through one nation, the world. The legacy of a single surrendered life will reach far beyond what we can see or measure, carrying the fragrance of Christ into eternity.
So let us be bold. Let us look beyond the fear of rejection or misunderstanding and fix our eyes on the eternal reward – the salvation of souls and the glory of God. Let’s take courage in our faith, step out, and speak to the one. Because from one conversation, one seed planted in love, thousands more will come to know Him. The ripple begins with you and with me.
October 27, 2025
